The new studio and field production camera from Hitachi, Z-HD5500 HDTV, featuring the latest advances in CMOS imaging technology, will be showcased at the upcoming 2017 NAB Show, in Las Vegas.
The new model continues the tradition of Hitachi of providing the ability for video acquisition across a diverse array of production environments. The Z-HD5000 HDTV studio/field production camera has long-been a popular acquisition tool due to the price/performance relation, and the new Z-HD5500 continues the trend, as it cost-effectively addresses the challenges of shooting in studios and venues with low-cost or varying-frequency LED lighting.
Featuring Hitachi Kokusai’s latest advances in CMOS imaging technology, the Z-HD5500’s new CMOS imagers adapt easily to a wide range of LED lighting conditions, enabling flawless, high-performance video capture in TV studios, houses of worship, theaters, arenas and other facilities where such lights or large LED displays are used. Paired with Hitachi Kokusai’s advanced digital signal processing and exclusive low-noise circuit technology, the new sensors deliver, says the company, “superior visual quality with exceptional sensitivity, excellent color fidelity and an outstanding 62dB signal-to-noise ratio.”
“An increasing number of studios, churches and venues are integrating LED lighting, display and projection systems that operate across a wide array of frequencies,” said John J. Humphrey, Vice President of Business Development, Hitachi Kokusai Electric America Ltd. “The Z‑HD5500 is optimized to deliver impeccable results in these environments, while retaining the exceptional price-performance value our customers expect from HITACHI cameras.”
The Z-HD5500 joins the extensive line of Hitachi HD and Ultra HD camera systems offering High Dynamic Range (HDR) capabilities, enabling video productions with increased contrast, richer colors and enhanced lighting reproduction. The Z-HD5500 supports both the HLG (Hybrid Log-Gamma) and HPQ HDR specifications. The Z-HD5500 is also the first camera in the Hitachi Z-HD family to offer native 1080p image acquisition, and does so without a significant price increase over its 1080i and 720p siblings.
The Z-HD5500 provides a flexible choice of connectivity, with optional support for both SMPTE fiber and triax infrastructures. The camera can be paired with dedicated fiber or triax camera control units (CCUs), or with the dual-cable HITACHI CU-HD1300FT for maximum deployment flexibility. The CU-HD1300FT offers both optical fiber connectivity and Hitachi Kokusai’s fourth-generation digital triax system, which features an ultra-low-latency H.264 codec technology and multilevel digital modulation for long-distance triax transport of 3GB/s 1080p video plus intercom, teleprompter returns and other signals.